The term ‘flatlined’ is a common figure of speech in Charted Space. It typically refers to electronic equipment that has been disabled or broken. A person can also jokingly be referred to as flatlined if they are extremely tired or drunk, or just committed some serious social gaffe. Less pleasantly, the term is also used for a medical patient whose vital signs have ceased to register. Someone who flatlines in a low berth is unlikely to survive due to the difficulty of resuscitating someone in cryogenic suspension; thus, the term is grimly used in a more general context for anyone in a situation where they are as good as dead.

Flatlined takes place on the world of Neon, in Usher subsector of Reft. The Travellers awaken in a crashed spacecraft with only the vaguest memories of how they got there. First, they must survive, then discover how they came to be there. After that, their troubles really begin…

Any group of Travellers will be suitable for this adventure. It does not require the Travellers to own or have access to a starship. Combat skills will be useful, but the events of the adventure can be handled in a variety of ways.

SPOILER ALERT: This was describes elements of the "Flatlined" adventure. Don't read it if you're a player!

Started running "Flatlined" on Saturday with a group of four players. The character generation session went well and we ended up with a nice group that should be able to do both this adventure and proceed to "Deepnight Endeavor" (provided they survive!). We have a scholarly planetologist, an ex-scout with a no-nonsense personality, a retired navy captain from the engineering branch, and a deceptive rogue who appears to have enough talent to swipe the Mona Lisa right out of the Louvre without anyone noticing.

It was good to have a fresh group of players for this adventure. After generating their characters, I noticed no one had a name yet. I asked them to keep it that way for the time being and received a few perplexed looks in response. As the characters awoke, dizzy and disoriented, and began to work their way around the ship, their memories were gradually restored and they came up with the names they had "forgotten."

They came up with a great way to get out of the ship, extracting and severing the vacuum tether that I determined would be available in the airlock, tying it to the vacc suit they found, and filling the vacc suit with air so it became a sort of makeshift life raft. They opened the airlock, gradually at first and then more quickly as it filled with water, and then, grouped together by the tether and tied to the vacc suit, they floated to the surface. Relieved to discover there was a breathable atmosphere they made their way to shore. After getting the lay of the land and spotting the radio tower, we adjourned for the day.

LINE OF THE DAY: From our scholarly planetologist when he noticed they appeared to be confined to the low berth room: "Oh my God! We're in an 'escape the room game!'" If you're not familiar with the reference, there's a corporate "team-building" schtick that's been in vogue for the last few years in which you and your co-workers are confined to a room and have to "escape" by solving several puzzles.

I've played with or refereed all these players before and I really enjoyed seeing their roleplaying skills in action. Every one of them is playing a distinctly different personality than I have seen them play before. The mark of good roleplayers!

"Spacers lead a sedentary life. They live at home, and their home is always with them—their starship, and so is their country—the depths of space."